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3 Responses to “Can I carry a knife on me for self defense in California?”

1. Visor on June 20th, 2009 2:42 pm

   Russell – In CA, the state law does allow carrying a knife, (details below), which has nothing to do with self defense. It is your right!
   If you're looking for a fight, then it's not a good idea. Carrying a folding knife for every day, utility use was never a crime, in normal places.

   I carry 2-3 on me, none of it is for self defense. I just like knives and they're the oldest TOOL for every day use. And I am not a butcher, or carpenter either.

   In detail – California penal code 653k defines what's a legal pocket knife and switchblade.
   California Penal Code 12020 covers street carry of knives.

   In short, statewide there is NO length limit neither on folding knives, nor on the fixed blades. However, folding knives CAN be carried concealed, while fixed blades have to be carried in open.
   Local towns and cities may have their law limiting the length. I know that San Francisco and Oakland have 3in blade length limit on the folders.

   Sadly not all of the police officers know the law, or at least this section of penal code. I've never had a problem, but I've heard stories about cops giving trouble to folks carrying fixed blades on the belt.
   Eventually it's gonna sort out, but it's a hassle.

   So, you can carry folding knife of any length as long as it's not a ballisong(butterfly) or switchblade knife.
   For fixed blades the banned type is dirk or a dagger. In simpler words, no double edged stuff.

   you can also check out http://knifeforums.com and http://bladeforums.com for more on current knife related laws.

   One problem is that the way the law defines dirk and dagger is way too vague and if one is willing it could be applied either to a pen or a screwdriver.

   Again, check local laws. Your town may have a ban or limitation in the knives and you might get in trouble.

   delive_rance – For one, laws are the same for the butchers and school teachers. A butcher has the need for his butcher knives at work, not on the street, and average guy have better reasons for carrying a folding knife in his pocket than the butcher his knives on the street.

   Second – carrying a legal knife isn't considered as anything illegal by the law, at least in CA, unless explicitly prohibited. It is our civil right. If you are so narrow minded that a knife in your eyes is only a weapon, then it's your problem, however, not everyone is like you. FYI, majority of knife crime is committed with kitchen knives. Throw away yours.

   And third – based on your reply, you clearly have very vague understanding of what basic KNIFE LAW is as of today. Self defense in either cased spelling, is much more complicated subject the you're depicting here. If you're attacked, self defense or not, is determined by case by case circumstances and not the price sticker on the weapon or its caliber or blade length.

   Why don't you read this – http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/03/09/watching_helplessly_as_a_life_slips_away/?page=1
   Dozens of people watched old woman suffocate to death. If just ONE of them had a pocket knife on him/her, she'd be saved.
   I figure most of them were like you, thinking of knife as only means of violence.

2. uu C on June 20th, 2009 2:42 pm

   yea i carry around kitchen knives all the time

3. delive_rance on June 20th, 2009 2:42 pm

   NO UNLESS YOU ARE A BUTCHER, who work in a slaughter house. Why carry yourself a knife for? For self defense? Do you know the meaning of self defense to begin with? I suppose NOT.
   The meaning of Self-defense (or self-defence — see spelling differences) is the act of defending oneself, one's property or the well-being of another from physical harm.[1] While the term may define any form of personal defense, it is strongly associated with civilian hand-to-hand[dubious – discuss] defense techniques. Self-defense defines a civilian activity as opposed to Hand-to-hand combat in a military context.

   Carrying a knife is not considered to be self defense. It is the opposite of self defense. It is an invitation of conflict or danger on your part. Self defense is the use of a hand against a knife that is considered to be self defense, but once the knife of the assailant was transferred to your hand in the pit of struggle and you stab him to death it is not anymore falls under the category of self defense. The danger to your life must be eminent and present to view it as self defense. The same case hand against a knife, in the course of struggle you got a wooden club and hit the guy over the head and knock him out or killed him NOW THAT IS SELF DEFENSE, the danger is eminent to you and present either you kill him or he kills you. So you chooses the first one kill him. But if you got a knife against a knife now that is not self defense anymore, the weapon you must have should be inferior to the one the assailant have to fall in the category of self defense. WHY CARRY A KNIFE, learn the art of self defense- enrol in KARATE SCHOOL or Taewondo classes near you or Wu Shu or Jeetkundo or Judo or other martial arts. Much better than carry a knife all the time. Carry a weapon will just make you some kind of a freak evey if there is nothing wrong you think there is because you carry a weapon who can end it all. A psychological effect on a person just like carrying a gun some sort. A small mistake of some person infront of you, you just pull the trigger and get out of there.

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